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Rostec who are the parent of Rosoboronexport, press release on the S400 deal:

Rosoboronexport: Contract with India for S-400 Missile Systems – Biggest-ever Deal in Company History

On October 5, 2018, in Delhi Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec State Corporation) signed a contract to supply India with the S-400 Triumph long-range air defense missile systems (ADMS).

"The S-400 supply agreement with India is a new landmark in the history of military-technical cooperation between our countries. The deal demonstrates the highest level of trust and understanding between India and Russia. I am sure that this agreement will also be a new impulse for strengthening and deepening our cooperation in civil industry." said the Head of Rostec State Corporation Sergey Chemezov.

The main advantage of the S-400 lies in its versatility. The system is able to engage both all types of aerodynamic targets and ballistic missiles, up to intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The Triumph is far superior to its foreign counterparts in maximum engagement range and minimum engagement altitude, emplacement/displacement time, as well as in a number of other key characteristics.

“The contract for the supply of S-400 Triumph air defense missile systems to India is the biggest for the entire period of military-technical cooperation between Russia and India and the largest in history of Rosoboronexport. Today we begin to execute it” said the Head of Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheev.

Regular meetings between the leaders of Russia and India give strong impetus to the development of relations between the countries and play an important role in expanding and strengthening military-technical cooperation, which has been underway since 1960. Since then, exports of Russian military products to India have exceeded $65 billion.

“Rosoboronexport is ready to cooperate with India in any areas. At the moment, a number of other major contracts for the supply of Russian weapons to India are in the final stages of preparation and we hope they will be signed soon,” Alexander Mikheev said.

I met a very interesting elderly Russian who recalled being, as a young man, on the set of Pardesi when Nargis was involved in an accident with a pyrotechnical device. In fact he recalled both Raj Kapoor and Nargis; and the incident of the fire which he was prepared to put out with a blanket moved him to tears.

Was there such an event on the set of Pardesi (Indo-Russian collaboration, apparently).

arun wrote:How times have changed when it comes to being supported against Mohammadden Terrorism emanating from the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan targeting India.Russia cannot bring herself to name the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan and provides India faint support by pussyfooting around without naming the Islamic Republic and makes no mention of Pakistan sponsored terrorist attacks at Mumbai, Pathankot and Uri. On the other hand the US has no such inhibitions in naming and shaming the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan besides explicitly mentioning Pakistan sponsored terrorist attacks at Mumbai, Pathankot and Uri.

Indo Russia Statement dealing with Terrorism:

India-Russia Joint Statement during visit of President of Russia to India (October 05, 2018)October 05, 2018

India-Russia: an Enduring Partnership in a Changing World …………..

The Sides declared their support to Afghan government’s efforts towards the realization of an Afghan-led, and Afghan-owned national peace reconciliation process. Concerned with the unabated violence and severely undermined security situation in Afghanistan and its adverse effect on the region, the Sides resolved to work through the Moscow Format, SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan, and all other recognized formats for an early resolution to the long-term conflict in Afghanistan, end to terroristviolence, external safe havens and sanctuaries for terrorists and the worsening drug problem in the country. Both Sides called upon the international community to join efforts to thwart any external interference in Afghanistan, to restore its economy, contribute to sustaining peace and security, economic and political development of a stable, secure, united, prosperous and independent Afghanistan. The two Sides will direct their activity to launchjoint development and capacity building projects in Afghanistan. ………………………..

The Sides denounced terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reiterated the need to combat international terrorism with decisive and collective response without any double standards. The Sides agreed to converge their efforts to eradicate terrorist networks, their sources of financing, arms and fighters supply channels, to counter terrorist ideology, propaganda and recruitment. The Sides condemned all kinds of state support to terrorists including cross border terrorism and providing safe havens to terrorists and their network. Recognizing the importance of adopting the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, pending in the United Nations, to become part of the international law, both Sides called upon the international community to make sincere efforts towards its early conclusion. То address the threats of chemical and biological terrorism, the Sides supported and emphasized the need for launching multilateral negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament on an international convention for the suppression of acts of chemical and biological terrorism.

Welcoming the expansion of bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, the Ministers announced their intent to increase information-sharing efforts on known or suspected terrorists and to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2396 on returning foreign terrorist fighters. They committed to enhance their ongoing cooperation in multilateral fora such as the UN and FATF. They reaffirmed their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that will advance and strengthen the framework for global cooperation and reinforce the message that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism. The Ministers denounced any use of terrorist proxies in the region, and in this context, they called on Pakistan to ensure that the territory under its control is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries. On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, they called on Pakistan to bring to justice expeditiously the perpetrators of the Mumbai, Pathankot, Uri, and other cross-border terrorist attacks. The Ministers welcomed the launch of a bilateral dialogue on designation of terrorists in 2017, which is strengthening cooperation and action against terrorist groups, including Al-Qa’ida, ISIS, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizb-ul Mujahideen, the Haqqani Network, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, D-Company, and their affiliates. The two sides further reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing and future cooperation to ensure a stable cyberspace environment and to prevent cyber-attacks.

How times have changed when it comes to being supported against Mohammadden Terrorism emanating from the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan targeting India. Russia cannot bring herself to name the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan and provides India faint support by pussyfooting around without naming the Islamic Republic and makes no mention of Pakistan sponsored terrorist attacks at Mumbai, Pathankot and Uri. On the other hand the US, and now Japan, has no such inhibitions in naming and shaming the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan besides explicitly mentioning Pakistan sponsored terrorist attacks at Mumbai, Pathankot and Uri.

Extract from the India-Japan Vision Statement 0f October 29, 2018 following meeting of our PM Narendra Modi and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at the India-Japan Annual Summit showing Japan has none of the inhibitions regards Pakistan that Russia seems to have and mentions Mumbai and Pathankot:

They called upon Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, including those of November 2008 in Mumbai and January 2016 in Pathankot. They looked forward to strengthening cooperation against terrorist threats from groups including Al-Qaida, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lakshar-e-Tayyiba, and their affiliates.

Russia, India and Iran will hold a meeting in November to discuss the launch of the North-South international transport corridor, the Iranian television channel Press TV reported .

A new transport corridor with a length of 7.2 thousand kilometers using railways and waterways should be a cheaper and shorter alternative to the Suez Canal.

Goods will be shipped from India to the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on the coast of the Persian Gulf, then to Bandar Enzel on the coast of the Caspian Sea, from where they will go to Astrakhan by sea, and then by rail will be shipped to Europe, RIA Novosti reports .

It is assumed that the new transport corridor will reduce the time and cost of transporting goods by 30–40%.

For example, when transporting goods along the North-South corridor from Mumbai to Moscow, its time will be reduced by 20 days.

The potential volume of freight traffic on the new route is estimated at 20–30 million tons per year.

On October 30, it was reported that South Korea expects to launch the first Vladivostok-Seoul train in three to four years

I met a very interesting elderly Russian who recalled being, as a young man, on the set of Pardesi when Nargis was involved in an accident with a pyrotechnical device. In fact he recalled both Raj Kapoor and Nargis; and the incident of the fire which he was prepared to put out with a blanket moved him to tears.

Was there such an event on the set of Pardesi (Indo-Russian collaboration, apparently).

Still digging the facts. That movie is about travels of an early Russian traveller Afanasy Nitkhin.

Senior Indian diplomat about partnerships with both the United States and Russia

On Monday, in India, the official opening ceremony of the Indra-2018 Russian-Indian joint exercise was held at the Babin training ground in Uttar Pradesh. A day earlier it became known that Russia will complete the delivery of S-400 air defense system to India by 2023, which the United States is actively opposing. About how Delhi manages to combine military and military-technical cooperation with Moscow and rapprochement with Washington, as well as on the situation in Indo-Asia correspondent of "Kommersant" Sergei Strokanov said the chairman of the National Security Advisory Council of India, a member of the Valdai Club, a former ambassador in the Russian Federation Pundi Srinivasa Raghavan.

- What do you expect from the conference on Asian security, which will be held on November 21-22 in Malaysia under the auspices of the Valdai Club? In general, how important is the Valdai platform in the modern world, where there is less room for dialogue?

- Created in 2004, the Valdai Club became a platform for exchanging views between influential politicians and experts from around the world, who are given the opportunity to interact with their Russian colleagues.

Given the realities of the modern world, in which Russia's actions and intentions often meet with complete incomprehension or are presented in a distorted light, such initiatives as the upcoming Valdai Conference take on special significance. Russia relies on the development of ties in Eurasia. In this regard, frank discussions with those who determine politics and public opinion in the countries of the region will help all parties better understand each other.

- One of the manifestations of the split world was the confrontation between the USA and Russia, in connection with which India found itself between the hammer and the anvil. To what extent can this confrontation complicate Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation if the Law on Countering America's Opponents with Sanctions (CAATSA) is applied against India?

- India believes that the current confrontation between the United States and Russia remains the main destabilizing factor in global politics. Considering that the US Law on Countering America's Opponents through Sanctions ( CAATSA ) has an extraterritorial effect, this confrontation today directly invades the very basis of Russian-Indian relations. In addition to punishing Russia, the goal of CAATSA is to persuade other countries to abandon the purchase of Russian weapons and switch to arms supplies from the United States.

However, India has always stated that it will not allow any other country to dictate to it what its relations with other countries should be. In addition, the Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation meets the Indian national interests, since it allows maintaining the combat capability of the country's armed forces at the required level.

No country in the world shares military technology with India to the extent that Russia does.

And in conclusion, it must be recognized: CAATSA is like a nuclear weapon. It cannot be used, and its task is to induce to action the threat of its use.

As India diversifies its arms supplies, American arms shipments are growing. For the USA, it would be unwise to put this uptrend in jeopardy by applying CAATSA to India.

At the same time, it is well known in Russia that over the past five years, from 2013 to 2017, the share of Russian weapons acquired by India on the world arms market amounted to 62%. After the recent signing of a contract for the purchase by India of Russian S-400 systems, this figure will grow even more.- In his recent speech at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, US President Donald Trump called India one of the few partners whose relationship with Washington is considered particularly promising. What do you think of this new “honeymoon” of Washington and Delhi?

“The US-India strategic partnership cannot be considered a“ new honeymoon ”, it has been steadily developing and has received new acceleration since 2000, when the United States and India entered into a nuclear agreement providing for the lifting of the global embargo on cooperation with India in the peaceful nuclear industry. By the way, as of today, the only beneficiary of this decision of international importance has been Russia as the only country present on the Indian nuclear energy market (in the next two decades, 12 nuclear power plants with Russian participation are planned to be built in India).

The partnership with the United States is based on mutual interest in the development of trade, investment, technology exchange, strengthening bilateral relations in the field of education and cooperation in the field of military technology. India has always considered its partnership with the United States as independent of the strategic partnership with Russia. Both partnerships are unique to us.

- As the US-India partnership in Delhi strengthened, the term “Indo-Pacific Region” was mentioned instead of “Asia-Pacific Region”, as it was used to be said before. This was negatively perceived by China and met with a cool Moscow reaction. It is believed that this is an attempt to revise the role of the leading powers of the region, inspired by the United States. Why do you need it?

- Your question does not take into account the experience of India and the history of its relations with the Asia-Pacific region. The association of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), created in 1989 for the development of trade and economic relations, did not have a place for India. Our country is still not part of this group, although the United States and Russia declare that they are in favor of India’s membership in the APEC.

Established in 1996, another ASEM international organization (Asia-Europe Forum), which includes more than 50 states, initially also did without India.

Our country became a member of ASEM only in 2006 - ten years after its foundation. Thus, the definition of the “Asia-Pacific Region” is a product of the thinking of the Cold War era. It must be said bluntly that it does not correspond to the realities of today.

If you take into account any objective criteria, it is simply impossible to imagine a situation in which a country such as India, given its size and weight in the world, should be excluded from discussions on security issues and trade and economic cooperation in the region. India is the second largest country in Asia, its population is 1.3 billion people, GDP is $ 2.6 trillion, today it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Geographically, it occupies a strategic position in the Indian Ocean, where the busiest sea corridor runs. Protecting the sea lanes meets the vital economic interests of India, given that 40% of the country's sea freight passes through the Strait of Malacca.

When India speaks of the “Indo-Pacific Region”, it notes the importance of its economic and security interests not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but also in the oceans, from the eastern shores of Africa to the western shores of the United States. It is important to emphasize that India does not invest in its idea of ​​the “Indo-Pacific Region” as a club or military alliance, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in June of this year at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference in Singapore.- Mr. Raghavan, recently the first meeting on Afghan settlement was held in Moscow with the participation of representatives of the Taliban movement (the movement is prohibited in the Russian Federation, - “Kommersant”). However, official Kabul refused to participate in the meeting, and the United States did not participate in it, while the powers of the Taliban themselves, who arrived in Moscow, remain unclear. Does it make sense to hold such meetings?

- India has always stated that it supports all efforts aimed at achieving a political settlement in Afghanistan, which would be controlled by the Afghans, achieved by the Afghans and controlled by the Afghans. The Moscow format of negotiations on Afghanistan is intended to bring to the negotiating table all players, both internal and external, and with the active support of the Afghan government to promote a comprehensive intra-Afghan dialogue. India supported this format - a joint statement issued following the results of the visit of President Vladimir Putin to India in October of this year was confirmation of this. Having received an invitation to a recent meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow, in its assessment India was guided by considerations of strategic partnership with Russia. Now we have to watch how this meeting,

MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/. Containing major regional powers is the goal of the US-promoted Indo-Pacific concept, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said at the 3rd Russian-Indian forum of research centers’ heads on Thursday.

"Frankly speaking, we do not like the fact that the US and its allies, using our friend India, are trying to add their Indo-Pacific concepts aimed primarily at addressing their own challenges in Asia to the agenda," he said. "According to our estimates, the ideas promoted by Washington together with Tokyo and Canberra are aimed at containing major regional powers and drawing dividing lines by creating closed groups and interests rather than at positive development and open cooperation in the Indian and Pacific oceans."

Morgulov stressed that the region’s further development depended directly on whether all regional players would be able to build an equal, reliable and sustainable security and cooperation architecture together. "Of course, we would like India to be an integral and, I would even say, the key part of that process," he stressed.

Cross-posted from the "Geopolitics" thread. __________________________

This is an extremely interesting article by Pepe Escobar. Russia wants to create “`a common space for economic, logistic and information cooperation, peace and security from Shanghai to Lisbon and New Delhi to Murmansk.'”http://thesaker.is/how-the-new-silk-roa ... r-eurasia/

The sixth report in the Toward the Great Ocean series is distinct from all the previous reports, which sought to prove the expedience and usefulness of Russia’s Turn to the East mostly from economic, transport and geostrategic points of view. Solutions were suggested precisely in these areas. One of the reports was dedicated to the concept of the Greater Eurasian Partnership from Lisbon to Jakarta, Shanghai, or Tokyo. This report focuses on people, history, ideology, and education. It also covers the ideas behind Russia’s Turn to the East, as well as its media and spiritual aspects.

The first stage of Russia’s turn to the rising Asia is underway, with the Russian Far East advancing twice as fast as the rest of the country (although this is still not enough). Dozens of big plants are opening. Yet, today we can see more clearly the limitations that were not as obvious before. Eastern Russia’s development has not yet become a clear and common cause for the nation at large – the nation that is in dire need of grand projects. Neither do many Far Eastern residents really believe in it, with the outfl ow of people from the area, though having reduced, is continuing to this day. The goal is to formulate a fundamentally new way of engaging the people living in Russian Asia – the Far East and Siberia – who have interacted with their neighbors for centuries, who know and are able to comprehend them well. Furthermore, Russians in general should change their attitude to country’s Turn to the East, where the economic, technological and cultural markets of the future lie.

We are not heading East emptyhanded. We bring not only resources and transportation capacities, but also act as the major provider and guarantor of international security. More importantly, we have an opportunity to establish close cooperation with Asia without breaking off ties with Europe and to become the centre of the Greater Eurasian Partnership, which has been proposed by Moscow and backed by Beijing as being by 90 per cent in agreement with its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Report: Toward the Great Ocean, or the New Globalization of RussiaReport: Toward the Great Ocean-2, or Russia’s Breakthrough to AsiaReport: Toward the Great Ocean-3: Creating Central EurasiaReport: Toward the Great Ocean-4: Turn to the East. Preliminary Results and New ObjectivesReport: Toward the Great Ocean-5: From The Turn To The East To Greater Eurasia

This is an extremely interesting article by Pepe Escobar. Russia wants to create “`a common space for economic, logistic and information cooperation, peace and security from Shanghai to Lisbon and New Delhi to Murmansk.'”http://thesaker.is/how-the-new-silk-roa ... r-eurasia/

Praising strategic partnership between the two nations, President Vladimir Putin invited India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to become the “main guest” at an economic forum in Russia.

Putin and Modi talked over the phone on Monday, the Kremlin said. The Russian leader invited the Indian PM to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in September. The event is held annually in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East, and is aimed at fostering the nation’s trade and joint projects with Asia-Pacific. In 2017, Modi paid a visit to a high-profile economic-themed event in Russia’s St Petersburg.

The leaders also agreed to work together on fighting terrorism and solving “other relevant world problems.” Putin wished Modi luck in the upcoming general elections, scheduled for spring.

Moscow and New Delhi have enjoyed close economic ties since Soviet times. India is one of Russia’s main arms buyers. Despite the pressure from Washington to abandon the contract, India sealed the deal to buy Russian-made S-400 air defense missile systems.

In November, New Delhi also finalized the deal on four Russian guided-missile frigates. Two of the warships will be built in Russia, while the other two are to be constructed in a shipyard in India.

The PM should accept the offer as being chief guest. It will enhance the image and prestige of the country under his leadership when there is chaos and confusion both in the US and Europe due to domestic and Brexit controversies. A resurgent Indian economy, leading the pack esp. in Asia will have a magnetic effect in our region, giving us the chance to outflank China with nations afeared of getting into China's debt trap and ending up as vassal entities.The PM at the summit should also demand a zero-zero trade balance with China which now enjoys a $60 B trade advantage over us.If China can warn India and others about providing sub tech to Taiwan and losing out diplomatically with it, so should we also play the trade card with China warning it of similar consequences!

India celebrated its 70th Republic Day with a grand military parade and a show of its history, cultural diversity and strategic weaponry at the Rajpath. Foreign dignitaries and the top politicians were among the spectators.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulates the President of India Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to all citizens of the Republic of India," a senior Russian Embassy official said.

"India has achieved impressive success in socio-economic, scientific, technical and other spheres," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

"Your country rightfully enjoys high authority in the international arena, actively participates in tackling pressing issues of the regional and global agenda," he said in his message. The relations between the two countries are "dynamically developing," he said.

"I am convinced that further advance of the entire gamut of Russian - Indian ties fully meets the interests of our people and contributes to ensuring international stability and security," Vladimir Putin added.

"I sincerely wish good health, well-being and success to all citizens of India," he said.

The Indo-Russian cooperation that is built in mutual trust and enriching each other is a living formula for the rest of the world, said Russia’s Ambassador in New Delhi, Nikolay R. Kudashev. In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Kudashev spoke of a host of issues such as bilateral defence and economic cooperation, the growing U.S.-Russian tensions the echo the Cold War, the Pakistan factor in Indo-Russian ties and the need for launching new connectivity projects between the two countries. Edited excerpts:What brings you to Chennai?

I was very much invigorated by the meeting with the Chief Minister [Edappadi Palanisamy]. We underlined the key elements of our partnership such as connectivity, energy, transportation, tourism and education. Finally, he introduced to us the idea of the defence industrial corridor and the opportunities it could offer to Russian businessmen and industrialists. So the meeting with the Chief Minister was very positive. Then I also met the Governor [Banwarilal Purohit]. He was also very positive about our bilateral ties. The riches of Tamil Nadu is its man power — dynamic, well-educated and friendly. My participation in the GIM [Global Investors Meet] was also very positive. Tamil Nadu is offering business opportunities not only in the defence and tourism sectors but also in IT, manufacturing, agriculture, etc.Were there any specific agreements reached between Russian businesses and Tamil Nadu during your visit?

No specific memorandum was done. These are very large-scale ideas. They are being discussed within the scope of the bilateral summit. The Indo-Russia bilateral ties are vast. But there are specific ideas discussed in the bilateral summits, which could be implemented in the future. First, the idea of establishing a transportation corridor between Chennai and Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East. This corridor could bring closer Tamil Nadu’s development to the vast natural resources of Russia’s Far East — gas, oil, coal, gold, diamonds, rare earth, other metals, etc.— and vice versa. We need Indian machinery. We need Indian agricultural products, Indian man power and so on. So this is the idea. Further movement on this will be possible in the nearest future.

Secondly, there’s another idea of setting up a North-South transport corridor — this could bring Tamil Nadu closer to Russia’s European part. The CM is also very much keen on this. Kudankulam nuclear power plant is another project where further development is expected. It is being developed successfully. Block one and two are very much on. Three and four, construction activity started. For five and six, the legal issues are settled. Finance is there, the agreements are there, the contracts are there. We are looking for a second site — six more blocks. The Indian government should offer the site to us.Let’s talk about bilateral ties. India recently said that it will go ahead with the S-400 missile defence system deal with Russia despite American pressure. What is the current status of the deal? When Russia is expected to deliver the systems?

The deal was done, and the first delivery, as far as we understand, will start by 2020 — may be earlier, but not later, definitely — and it will continue for three to four years. This is a very large deal, it’s about $6 billion. This would be valuable contribution to the security of the Indian air space and number two, this will be a proof of the special nature of the ties between India and Russia. Russia is not very much concerned about the influence of U.S. sanctions. As far as Russia is concerned, our relationship with India is independent, irrespective what a third party might say, Americans or anybody.But will India and Russia face problems of payment because of American sanctions?

There were some problems over working nature, to be frankly. Due to the enormous size of the deal, it’s not easy to make the payment of an amount as big as $6-7 billion. But recently, both parties, Russia and India, came together to develop a practical solution involving banks of two sides and national currencies. This is what I could say about it. So a practical solution is there and it started working. So as far as the problem is concerned, it’s no more. Rather, it is about building the experience, the habit of payments in national currencies.India and Russia were friends for a long time. But in recent years, India has moved closer towards the U.S. Do you think that has impacted the equation between Russia and India?

It could sound strange. But we are not very much concerned about India’s ties with the U.S. Why is it? Because, first of, there there’s trust between our leaders and our political establishments. We trust each other. We feel that it is more or less natural for a country of India’s size, influence and power to develop normal ties with other states. Be it the U.S., Japan, China or any other country. Our relationship is not into a straightjacket. Our relationship is a living formula, enriching the two of us. We are making the multipolar world stronger. So we feel that Indian influence, Indian role, Indian contribution in the international arena is naturally a positive factor. And India is welcome everywhere, be it Central Asia, be it Russia’s closer neighbourhood, be it Latin America, be it Northern America. India is a friend. India is a reasonable and a responsible power. India is factor of peace and development. And we know that your relationship with the U.S. would not be anti-Russian in nature. Otherwise the existing trust and the depths of cooperation between us would not have been possible.Russia has a growing relationship with Pakistan, especially defence ties. How do you look at the Pakistan angle in Indo-Russia partnership?

Our relationship with India is a special strategic partnership. We share with India unique confidence. Our leaders meet each other at least five to six times a year. If I may ask when was the last time President Putin met a Pakistan Prime Minister? I don’t remember. We share vast commonality of views on international issues. There’s growing trade and investment. And we share unique military and other technologies with India, which are not even widely available in Russia. If you compare our ties with India to our relationship with Pakistan, then you will see that our relationship with Islamabad is minuscule. The aims of our ties with Pakistan is very much similar to yours — we need a stable government, predictable, we need a government which fulfils its obligations, to fight terror, drugs and crime. Once that’s the case, we are ready to deal with their government and to support it to fulfil its obligations. We feel that there’s scope for us to cooperate with Pakistan on this common agenda — common for Russia and Pakistan and common for Russia and India. So this is a normal type of relationship. What we need is normalcy. This is not some geopolitical game, to get some advantages from India. This is not the case with us. Because the trust and the depth of our relationship is incomparable with ties with Pakistan. Pakistan is our neighbour. We need stability there as well as you.Globally, there are tensions between the U.S. and Russia, be it in Syria, Ukraine. Do you see similarities between these tensions and that of the Cold War?

Our relationship with the U.S. was always partly cloudy. It was never free of problems, be it Russian-American or Soviet American ties. So today’s problems are not exactly unexpected. What is unexpected is the level of misunderstanding from the American side. Whether it would resemble the Cold War, You could say yes, you could say no. Cold War had ideological differences, there were two countries, two systems, two poles. This is not the case now. It’s a multipolar world. So whether there’s resemblance or not, this is up to you. But what’s important is that problems are there. And we need to come to the solutions to these problems. May be we can bear in mind the positive and negative experiences of the Cold War years. There are issues of strategic stability. The American side is somewhat hesitant about the need to continue the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. The American side is negative with the idea of continuing with the INF [Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty,] treaty. The American side is positive about the global ABMs [Anti-Ballistic Missiles], which is developing. If we ruin the whole system of global strategic stability that was developed after the Second World War, what would take its place, jingoism only, gangsterism.Could you give some specific example on how to take the Indo-Russian strategic partnership to the next level despite the headwinds?

We are part of the Eurasian region. We feel that we need more connectivity that would serve our national interest. This is simple realism. To promote connectivity what we are doing? There’s an established dialogue. It’s being nourished with new formulas such as informal summits. It’s not only about Modi and Xi Jinping. It also involves Putin and Modi. They have started meeting on informal basis. Very private, to exchange their thoughts, to exchange their expectations about bilateral developments, regional developments and global developments. This is a new phenomenon. Economically, we feel that Russia and India are two giants. Two peaceful giants which are also vulnerable to foreign interference such as sanctions. We need to defend our growing economic cooperation from the negative influences. We have started working an economic strategy, a long term planning to protect our economic relations from disruptive market forces and negative influences. And then comes, energy. Our cooperation currently is not only about nuclear energy. It is also about LNG, coal, oil and it’s about the larger Indian investment in Russia’s Far East. We would not limit our cooperation to earthly issues but to explore the space as well.

New Delhi (Sputnik): India will introduce a free-flow toll collection system which utilises Russian-developed GLONASS satellite navigation on one of its most-used highways later this year. A contract for the implementation of the project was signed between RT-Invest Transport Systems LLC (RTITS) and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) recently, according to a statement from the RTITS. The Russian IT company is credited with the development of ‘Platon' — an electronic toll collection system which is part of its telematics solutions bouquet that allows users to avoid traditional toll gate problems.

The Russian company was selected through an open tender over key international players such as Skytoll (Slovakia), Efkon India Private Limited, National Toll Payment Services PLC and other companies which had bid on the project.

Russian technology and solutions in the field of transport telematics have generated global interest. This contract is the first major order to showcase Russian transport network technology.

India is currently witnessing a road construction boom. Major highways are being reconstructed and expanded, and road network standards are undergoing a major overhaul.

"The current project is the first step in organising convenient and non-stop traffic on the New Delhi — Mumbai corridor. If the Russian technology proves its efficiency and ability to solve existing problems on highways, the next step could be the roll out of the project across the entire road network in the country," the statement cited Ashish Sharma, the board member of the National Highways Authority of India as saying.

"Russian transport telematics is one of the most advanced technologies of its kind in the world. Our high-tech developments have a huge export potential," said Anton Zamkov, Director General of RT-Invest Transport Systems LLC.

"It will be a unique combination of the most advanced digital solutions. They will prevent huge traffic jams on Indian roads, increase the speed of the delivery of goods and reduce costs for carriers and drivers. In addition, within the framework of the project, our Indian partners will test the truck Weight-In-Motion system developed by us and a number of services on their roads. I am sure that these are only the first steps. We are working towards participating in a number of tenders and we will increase the export of our projects. On the basis of the technological platform that is used in the Platon system, we can create and develop digital services for Russia and foreign countries," Anton Zamkov added.

The country has more than 12,000 toll roads that incorporate an entry-through-barriers mode of access.

"We support the development of Russian-Indian partnership and hope that use of Russian technology will find effective application in the transport industry of India, and help solve existing logistics problems as well as attract additional funds for the construction of safe roads," said Yaroslav Tarasyuk, the Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in India.

Vehicles will be equipped with On-Board Units (OBUs) which operate using the GLONASS satellite system; these OBUs were specially designed by the Russian company for the project.

India and Russia have drawn up an ambitious agenda to boost strategic partnership through joint efforts at various economic fora in 2019

Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov and Ambassador of India to Russia Venkatesh Varma recently met in Moscow and discussed the participation of representatives of India in major Russian business events as a driver in strengthening strategic partnership.

Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov and Ambassador of India to Russia Venkatesh Varma recently met in Moscow and discussed the participation of representatives of India in major Russian business events as a driver in strengthening strategic partnership. “We look forward to the visit of Prime Minister of India to the largest forum in the Asia-Pacific region and hope that this will break new ground of trade and investment cooperation between our countries in the Far East. I am confident that the extensive highest level participation of India in the event can significantly contribute to the achievement of the ambitious objectives announced by Prime Minister of India: to bring the trade turnover between Russia and India to $30 billion by 2025,” sai ..

“We also hope that the initiatives of India, articulated during first Russia–India Strategic Economic Dialogue, will be pursued as national programmes and projects in our countries. For example, in digitalization we’re talking about the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia,” he added.

During the meeting, Russian representatives spoke about organising a national stand of India at the EEF 2019 exhibition space for a general presentation of the economic, industrial, tourism and cultural potential of the country to the Forum participants. Additionally, in order to strengthen interregional cooperation, the Russian side offered assistance in organising and holding the meeting of Prime Minister of India with the heads of the Far East regions, since it has already become a traditiona part of Prime Minister’s visit to Russia. “I attended several events organised by the Roscongress Foundation and I know for a fact that all of them are world-class gatherings offering strong expert opinions and international discussions. Thus, the Indian side seeks to attend each event with a representative delegation from both Government and business. The SPIEF and EEF dates are always on our calendars, and I believe every year we step up our presence at Russian major business forums. This year we are looking forward to attending the the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum since we recognise Russia’s aspiration to consolidate development issues between the Far East and the Arctic. We are quite interested in this topic. Our representatives will also attend the Russian Investment Forum in Sochi next week and of course the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum with the Delegation comprising of business representatives and Government of the Republic of India,” said Ambassador Varma.

Epic reply in the end by the ambassador, "You need to read more to rectify your knowledge" mohtarma was like thank you ambassador that's why I invite people like you to give me knowledge (just blindly accepting her flaws).

I think the BRF prophecy of convergence on Sino-Russian interests is materializing right in front of our eyes. With many of our indigeneous programs are maturing and reaching a stage is making russians realize that India wont be dependent on Russians for daal roti of defence. Only sweet dishes like S400 or Akula.

Russia imparts state-of-the art training to Indian engineers contributing to Make in IndiaThese courses took place at the Center for General Engineering and Technical Education (TSOITO) in Ranchi.By , ET Bureau|Dec 29, 2018, 07.59 PM IST

NEW DELHI: Russian State Research Center JSC “RPA CNIITMASH”(which is part of Rosatom's machine building division JSC “Atomenergomash”) has concluded state of the art training courses for Indian engineers involved in heavy engineering works that would boost Make in India initiative.

These courses took place at the Center for General Engineering and Technical Education (TSOITO) in Ranchi, at the premises of HEC Ltd (one of the largest state-owned machine-building enterprises in India) with the aid of the State Department of heavy mechanical engineering.

As part of the Agreement between CNIITMASH and HEC Ltd, 120 specialists have already completed six training courses out of nine planned. The remaining 3 courses will be offered by the CNIITMASH scientists to the Indian machine builders in 2019. The final course of the current year was attended by 20 Indian engineers and was called “Technology of casting blanks equipment for heavy and power engineering” and lasted for 9 days.

The cooperation Agreement between НЕС Ltd and CNIITMASH was signed in December 2015.

The Central Research Institute for Engineering Technology (JSC RPA CNIITMASH) was founded in 1929 and has the status of the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation. It is the developer of basic materials, technologies and products of power and heavy engineering, including the most important elements of the equipment of nuclear power units with VVER-1000 reactors, nuclear power plants of the new generation NPP-2006, hydraulic and gas turbines, power units of thermal power plants, powerful presses and metallurgical units. The RPA includes five specialized institutes, a pilot plant, as well as attestation and certification centers.

JSC “Atomenergomash” is the power and machine building division of Rosatom State Corporation, and is one of the leading power engineering companies of the Russian Federation.

The full text of the Russian statement on Mission Shakthi ASAT test by India from the Facebook page of the Russian Embassy in India. It is self-described as “Comment by the Information and Press Department” though of what eg: Russian Embassy / Russian Foreign Ministry etc, is not known:

ON THE TEST OF ANTI-SATELLITE WEAPONS CONDUCTED BY INDIA

We noted the test of anti-satellite weapons conducted by #India on March 27, as a result of which an #Indian spacecraft - a target - in a low earth orbit was hit by an interceptor ballistic missile. We highlight the nondirectedness of this test against any specific country declared by the Indian leadership, as well as the reassurance of the continuity of New #Delhi foreign policy to prevent the deployment of weapons in outer space and thereby the development of an arms race in it.

At the same time, we have to state that this action of India has been largely the result of the substantially degraded situation in the field of arms control. #Russia has repeatedly warned that the destructive actions of the #USA to undermine the entire architecture of international security and strategic stability, including unilateral and unlimited development of the US global anti-missile defense systems, as well as the reluctance to abandon plans for the weaponization of outer space, make other states think about improving their own equal potentials in the interests of strengthening their national security. We urge #Washington to take a responsible stand, come to senses and drop the insane, and most importantly - absolutely unrealizable - the idea of universal military domination. It is still possible to stop the arms race unfolding in various regions of the world. It is important to assist the responsible states in maintaining an adequate level of international security and stability.

Russia, for its part, intends to continue to make every necessary effort to prevent an arms race in outer space. The idea of developing a multilateral legally binding instrument for keeping outer space peaceful based on the #Russian-#Chinese draft treaty with the support of a solid group of like-minded nations to prevent the weaponization of outer space, the use or threat of force against space objects, as well as the multilateral initiative - political obligations not to be the first to place weapons in space are becoming particularly important. We offer our Indian partners to actively join these joint efforts of the international community.